Opening Their Hearts: Aortic valve procedure gives individuals a new lease on life

HOUSTON, TX (March24,
2014)

For Harold Livesay, PhD, 79, the day was planned around a series of
benches or other resting stops within steps of each other as the history
professor crossed the Texas A&M University campus. For Jerry Don
Manning, 75, the chore to feed his chickens and yearling cattle on his
land near Crockett, Texas, meant leaning on his pickup truck, the midway
point between the house and shed.

Life had slowed to a crawl for these two men, both hindered by the
constant need to stop and catch their breath and ease the burning chest
pain long enough to start moving again. Each was at the mercy of a
failing aortic valve that no longer was able to push enough blood from
his heart to the rest of his body.